Black Lightning: Year One #1Review

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Black Lightning's origin makes for a suprise hit.

By Dan Phillips

Ever since Frank Miller came along and changed the way people looked at and thought about Batman's origins, creators have been lining up to give even the most obscure characters the "Year One" treatment. The results have varied greatly, to put it mildly. There have been stinkers (see Metamorpho: Year One), and there have been delightful surprises (see Batgirl: Year One). Though the success of each of these projects has no doubt hinged on the viability and depth of their respective stars, I suspect the writer's approach has even more to due with whether or not one of these projects succeeds.

Black Lightning: Year One is just the latest obscure superhero origin story to hit the stands (yes, Black Lightning remains obscure even if he currently enjoys a role in the JLA), and the first issue succeeds mostly because Jen Van Meter takes a markedly different approach to the "Year One" story than most of her predecessors.

Before I continue, I should point out that there is one similarity between this origin story and Miller's Batman classic: both begin with the title character returning to his home city after an extended absence. The similarities pretty much end there. Van Meter goes on to take a more underplayed and quiet approach than I've seen in the majority of such tales, and both the issue and the character are more interesting because of it. The issue is narrated by Jefferson Pierce's wife, and follows his family as they move into his hometown, the downtrodden Southside of Metropolis. The grim situation of this crime-ridden city is what drives the story and pushes Pierce closer to his heroic fate, and everything about the environment rings true to a city in the midst of decline, with one notable exception: Van Meter tries to propose that this area of Metropolis is so bad, even Superman wont step foot in it. This is the only major misstep of the entire issue (come on, he's Superman!), but it's glaring enough to mention.

The most unique and refreshing aspect of Van Meter's approach is that she uses Jefferson Pierce's family to define the man, and this supporting cast thrives in the spotlight. The result is a family that feels like a real family, making Black Lightning seem all the more well-rounded and relatable as a character. As someone not very familiar with Black Lightning's origin story, I was also relieved to see Van Meter (for now) avoid using family tragedy as Pierce's reason for taking up crime fighting. Instead, we're left with what feels like the film Lean on Me, only if Morgan Freeman's character could shoot lightning from his fingertips.

Fans of the recently cancelled Blue Beetle series will be pleased to see the return of an old friend in artist Cully Hamner, who lends his expressive brand of cartooning to this project. Hamner doesn't have much in the way of action to work with here, but he breathes life and vitality into every page by paying close attention to facial expressions and body language. It's a great looking book, and I can't wait to see what Hamner does once Van Meter's story kicks into the next gear.

Black Lightning: Year One is a well-crafted comic and a pleasant surprised, and it deserves to be read by anyone who has even the slightest interest in the character.

Black Lightning: Year One #1

Jefferson Pierce returns to his old stomping grounds – the infamous Suicide Slum of Metropolis – in order to bring some hope to the residents of his downtrodden former neighborhood. He'll quickly learn, though, that a lawless place sometimes requires a lawless vigilante to drag it into the light.